University of Kent, Canterbury, England (B.A. in English with African and Caribbean Studies)

CAREER: Johnson migrated to England at the age of eleven. She taught creative writing at Warwick University and, as a writer and a poet, she had residencies and readings throughout England as well as in other countries: Belgium; Germany; Spain; Sweden; and the USA. Her published collections of poems included:

Long Road to Nowhere (1985)

Sequins for A Ragged Hen (1988)

Tread Softly in Paradise (1991)

Gorgons (1992)

Calling (2000)

In addition to her poetry, Johnson also contributed to the the following anthologies on the art of writing: "Delighting the Heart" (1989); and "Taking Reality by Surprise" (1991). Her other published works included: "Essays by Black Female Writers" (1988); "Blood and Wine" (1991); "Lilies for My Grandmother"; and "Colouring Book."